OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 13 June 1865)

§ THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH
said, he wished to draw the attention of their Lord- 108 ships to certain facts connected with the late lamentable railway accidents, which had been elicited from the witnesses examined at the coroner's inquest held on the bodies of those who were killed in the great accident on the Chester and Shrewsbury branch of the Great Western Railway. It appeared from the report of the inquest which appeared in The Times a few days ago that the engine-driver said the only danger signal he saw near the unsafe portion of the line was a small old green flag. That description of signal was not to be compared to the detonating signal in use upon most lines when any extra precaution on the part of the engine-driver was required. He believed that if that plan had been adopted, and proper arrangements made, these disasters would have been avoided. He also wished to point out that the railway companies were adopting the new and most dangerous system of placing passenger carriages instead of luggage vans next to the engines, and also at the end of the train. He did not mean to say that the precautions he had pointed out would altogether prevent such accidents as had already occurred, but the railway companies were bound to adopt every safeguard in their power.

§ LORD ST. LEONARDS
said, he quite concurred in the necessity of every proper precaution against such lamentable disasters as those referred to. But he desired to draw attention to the objectionable practice adopted by some companies of locking both doors of the carriages, so that in case of the carriages taking fire, as in the accident near St. Germans, the passengers must inevitably be burnt to death. He had no objection to one door of the carriage being locked, as that might conduce to the safety of the passengers, who otherwise might get out on the wrong side and be killed by a passing train. He would lay on the table a Bill relating to this subject.

§ THE EARL OF CARDIGAN
thought that some means ought to be taken to ensure ready communication between the passengers and the engine-drivers. A few years ago a number of persons were burnt, under the most horrible circumstances, in travelling between Paris and Versailles. If this communication had existed the accident might have been prevented.

§ LORD KINNAIRD
said, he supposed, with Sidney Smith, that until a Bishop was burnt no sufficient precaution would be taken to prevent such accidents. He believed that on the Scotch railways only one door was locked.

§ THE EARL OF CARDIGAN
feared that it was too much the practice to lock both doors.

THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDE
thought the House had a right to know what the intentions of Government were upon this subject. Government certainly ought to bring in a Bill for the better regulation of the railways.